O'Connor strengthens hold on Commonwealth gold

O'Connor strengthens hold on Commonwealth goldImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Kate O'Connor is aiming to win her first senior outdoor medalByLauren McCannBBC Sport NI JournalistPublished1 minute agoTeam Northern Ireland's Kate O'Connor is on course for a first Commonwealth Games gold medal as she continues to lead the heptathlon with just one event remaining in Glasgow.O'Connor topped the standings after the first four events on Tuesday and increased her advantage on Wednesday morning as she moved to 5611 points with good displays in the long jump and javelin.She is 258 points clear of England's Jade O'Dowda, sister of Republic of Ireland football international Callum, who is second in the overall standings.The event concludes with the 800m at 20:55 BST at Scotstoun Stadium on Wednesday evening.O'Connor, 25, finished first in the long jump with a 6.37m leap and followed that up by topping the standings for the javelin as she threw a season's best 52.85m as the only athlete to clear the 50m mark.Her NI team-mate Anna Macauley is eighth in the overall standings.She had a good performance in the long jump, recording a personal best of 6.23m but she could only manage 36.99m in the javelin as she finished ninth in the event.Related topicsCommonwealth GamesNorthern Ireland SportAthletics